Courses

Courses

Spring 2007 Courses

  • Visit Bearings to search for courses by title, instructor, department, and more.
  • Login to Blackboard. Instructional materials are available on a course-by-course basis.
110. Introduction to East Asian Art
Clifton Olds M 1:30 - 2:25, W 1:30 - 2:25, F 1:30 - 2:25 VAC-Beam Classroom
A chronological survey of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese art from prehistoric times to the present. Considers major examples of painting, sculpture, architecture, and the decorative arts in the context of historical developments and major religions of East Asia. Not open to students who have taken Art History 140 or Asian Studies 140 or Art History 103 or Asian Studies 103.
201. Literature of the Pacific War and the Atomic Bomb in Japan: History, Memory, and National Identity
Vyjayanthi Selinger M 1:00 - 2:25, W 1:00 - 2:25 Chase Barn-Chamber
A study of how World War II is represented in Japanese fiction. Readings will examine how the national imperative to support troops and the threat of government censorship affected fiction written during the war. This will be contrasted with the backward glance of post-war fiction, in which the war was critiqued, and in some ways, idealized. Special emphasis will be given to questions of national identity and history raised in Atomic Bomb literature.
212. Writing China from Afar
Belinda Kong T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25 Sills-205
The telling of a nation's history is often the concern not only of historical writings but also of literary ones. Examines some shaping moments of twentieth-century China – the Second World War, the Cultural Revolution, the Tiananmen Massacre, and most recently, the Three Gorges Dam project – with specific focus on literature by authors born and raised in China, but since dispersed into a western diaspora, including the United States, Canada, Britain, and France. Considers works across multiple genres, written in English as well as those in translation. Critical issues include the distinction between immigration and exile, the relationship between history and literature, the grounds of representational authority, and the complexities of narrating violence. Authors may include Ha Jin, Annie Wang, Anchee Min, Ying Chen, Jung Chang, Hong Ying, J. G. Ballard, Gao Xingjian, Dai Sijie, Shan Sa, Yang Lian, and Bei Dao.
215. Anthropology of Pilgrimage
Sunil Goonasekera T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25 Sills-205
Today, there is a consensus among some educated people that pilgrimages are irrational and performed by the unenlightened. Another perspective balances this consensus with the view that pilgrimages are profoundly meaningful and enlightening. The latter view is held not only by traditional people but also by many sociologists and anthropologists. Develops a discussion about this controversy and explores the second perspective with special reference to theories of pilgrimage, and how these theories relate to the experiences of the pilgrims. Several ethnographies of pilgrimages to Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, and Islamic holy places are discussed in light of sociological and anthropological theories.
226. Religion and Political Violence in South Asia
Sunil Goonasekera T 8:30 - 9:55, TH 8:30 - 9:55 Adams-301
Religion is a universal phenomenon that touches, if not dominates, daily life and is a force that can compel people to be both perpetrators and victims of violence. Sociological and anthropological studies point to social, political, economic, cultural, legal and psychological facts that propel individuals and groups to use violence and justify its use by bringing violence into a religious context. Seeks to understand the relationship between religion and violence and the causes and effects of that relationship. Specifically addresses these issues in South Asian cultural systems.
228. Chinese Foreign Policy
Lance Guo T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25 Sills-109
An analytic survey of the historical evolution of China's foreign relations since 1949. Emphasis is on China's evolving strategic thinking in the context of its rapid economic ascendance and increasing global influence. Topics include cultural and historical factors shaping Chinese foreign policy and strategic thinking; the actors, institutions, and processes of foreign policy making; national interests and the internationalization of China; Sino-U.S. relations; the resurgent nationalism; China's role in the Asia-Pacific regionalism; the key security and foreign policy issues such as Taiwan and North Korea, etc.
248. Activist Voices in India
Sara Dickey M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Searles-127
Examines contemporary social and political activism in India. Focuses on film, essays, and fiction to investigate the ways that political messages are constructed through different media and for specific audiences. Case studies include activism concerning religious conflict, gender inequalities, gay and lesbian identities, and environmental issues.
LAB
Sara Dickey T 6:30 - 9:25 Sills-205
Examines contemporary social and political activism in India. Focuses on film, essays, and fiction to investigate the ways that political messages are constructed through different media and for specific audiences. Case studies include activism concerning religious conflict, gender inequalities, gay and lesbian identities, and environmental issues.
253. Foundations of Indian History
Hayden Bellenoit T 11:30 - 12:55, TH 11:30 - 12:55 Searles-126
Examines some of the broad trends that have shaped the long course of Indian history. Possible areas of exploration include politics and religion, state and society, the history of colonialism, diasporic cultures, and modernity in South Asia.
259. Topics in South Asian History
Rachel Sturman Hayden Bellenoit T 2:30 - 3:55, TH 2:30 - 3:55 CT-16 Harrison McCann
Seminar. Explores key themes in the history of South Asia, while offering special attention to developing strong and eloquent writing. Possible topics may include colonial society, nationalism, the politics of identity and inequality, non-modern and modern religion, gender relations, elite and popular culture.
274. Chinese Poetry and Society
Kidder Smith T 10:00 - 11:25, TH 10:00 - 11:25 Adams-301
Examines Chinese poetry from early times through its great flourishing in the Tang dynasty (618–906), situating it in its social, political, and religious contexts. Students who have previously enrolled in this course cannot repeat the course for credit.
284. The Emergence of Modern Japan
Thomas Conlan M 11:30 - 12:55, W 11:30 - 12:55 Searles-217
What constitutes a modern state? How durable are cultures and civilizations? Examines the patterns of culture in a state that managed to expel European missionaries in the seventeenth century, and came to embrace all things Western as being “civilized” in the mid-nineteenth century. Compares the unique and vibrant culture of Tokugawa Japan with the rapid program of industrialization in the late nineteenth century, which resulted in imperialism, international wars, and ultimately, the post-war recovery.
287. Kingship in Comparative Perspective
Thomas Conlan T 6:30 - 9:25 Sills-111
What makes a king? How does one characterize or define sovereign authority and to what degree is this culturally specific? Explores the nature of kingship through a comparative perspective, contrasting Buddhist and Confucian notions of kingship and sovereignty. The focus is on Asia (South Asia, China, and Japan), although further insight is provided through comparisons with medieval Europe.
317. Asian Diaspora: War and Displacement
Belinda Kong T 1:00 - 2:25, TH 1:00 - 2:25 Mass-McKeen Study
Most of us can trace our roots to a place other than the one of our current residence. This place may be generations or continents removed from us, but nonetheless we feel an attachment toward it. We call this place “origin,” and the phenomenon of being dispersed from origin is given the name “diaspora.” Considers fiction written in English by Asian-descended authors, exploring how diasporic writers negotiate the tensions between their land of descent and their place of dwelling. Focuses on forms of displacement as a consequence of war. Authors may include Salman Rushdie, Timothy Mo, Kazuo Ishiguro, Joy Kogawa, Chang-rae Lee, Ha Jin, Wendy Law-Yone, Lan Cao, Lê Thi Diem Thúy, and Vyvyane Loh.
332. Advanced Seminar in Japanese Politics
Henry Laurence M 2:30 - 3:55, F 2:30 - 3:55 Sills-Peucinian Room
Analyzes the political, social, and cultural underpinnings of modern politics, and asks how democracy works in Japan compared with other countries. Explores how Japan has achieved stunning material prosperity while maintaining, among the best healthcare and education systems in the world, high levels of income equality, and low levels of crime. Students are also instructed in conducting independent research on topics of their own choosing.

Previous Semesters Courses